'This Week' Transcript: The Giving Pledge

AMANPOUR: you said that you would be willing to have your taxes higher, many Americans, particularly those who are successful say, hang on, I did this work, this is a capitalist society, this is my just reward. You disagree with that notion.

STEYER: I certainly do.

AMANPOUR: Because?

STEYER: I think anyone who doesn't give credit to the system that they are born into is taking an awful lot onto themselves. I mean, I really think that people have sacrificed a lot more than a little tax money to make that system available for all of us. And I would be ashamed of myself if I didn't give some credit to them.

AMANPOUR: It's emotional for you. Do you feel we're in trouble

STEYER: No. I think the U.S. is great. I think that people need some ideas. I think that they need a strategic sense. But I have enormous confidence in Americans to work hard and to be smart and to do the right thing.

AND THERE IS NO SIGN YET THAT THESE PHILANTHROPISTS ARE SLOWING DOWN....OR RESTING ON ITS LAURELS.

AMANPOUR: You were a man of great ambition, great hunger --

TURNER: I still am.

AMANPOUR: Is the hunger still there?

TURNER: Yes. But now I'm hungry for success for the human race and America and all my friends all over the world.

AMANPOUR: How do you want history to see you?

TURNER: I don't know. I'd like to -- hopefully it'll see me honestly. I believe in honesty so I don't -- and all I'm doing is good so or trying to do good. Even the people that don't agree about getting rid of nuclear weapons think it's a good idea to try.

B GATES: there's a certain momentum in terms of the more you hear about other people doing giving, it will encourage you to do more. And certainly all of us who got involved have been inspired by each other's stories, and that rededicates us to getting this money to have the most positive impact.

M. GATES: And any time there's talk about giving in a society -- I mean, we're interested not just in the wealthy giving. There's lot of people giving their time or giving small amounts of money even during these recessionary times. So just to have that discussion stimulated for the country I think is an important thing.

AMANPOUR: what do you want your legacy to be?

BUFFETT: I want to do the most intelligent job I can do, in effect, without respect to whether the recipients are male or female or black or white or Americans or Africans, or whatever it may be, that it has the greatest impact on improving the most people's lives in the future.

AMANPOUR: Do you have any plans to retire?

BUFFETT: No. Not even after I die. I've got a Ouija board. The directors will keep in contact with me. (laughter)

BUT BEFORE BUFFETT GETS THAT QUIJA BOARD....HE TOLD ME HE'S BEEN WORKING THE PHONES SO AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF MORE BILLIONAIRES TAKING THE PLEDGE IS EXPECTED SOON---THE GATES WILL BE MAKING A TRIP TO INDIA NEXT YEAR TO ENCOURAGE THAT COUNTRY'S EMERGING WEALTHY CITIZENS/PHILANTHROPISTS TO MAKE THEIR OWN PLEDGE ....

AMANPOUR: You're also obviously keen on eradicating polio. And, in fact, one of your executives says that if we don't have a polio vaccine, if we don't eradicate it by 2012, then we will have failed.